This Path I Tread
by Malahi
Summary: Gokudera wasn't always the brash and aggressive teenager he came to be. See how his past shapes him and draws him into the world of the Mafia.
1. Chapter 1

**Blame the plot bunnies**

**Disclaimer : Don't own KHR in any way shape or form. **

**Summary: Gokudera wasn't always the brash aggressive teenager he came to be. See how his past shapes him and draws him into the life of the Mafia.**

When Hayato's father had come to him in the play room, Hayato was instantly confused. The man, although nice enough, rarely sought Hayato out himself. Always too busy working to want to play with him, not that Hayato would have asked, his father was an intimidating man after all, even when he didn't mean to be.

So when the man came in, and the young maid that had been reading to him blushed and scampered off, Hayato couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. Because the breaking of traditions always signified change. Hayato clumsily got to his feet and tried to smooth out the inevitable creases on his shirt, hoping his father wouldn't fuss about his appearance the way that mother so often did.

As his father crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder, even at the tender age of three Hayato could tell that something was amiss. His father was smiling but there was a pain in his eyes that he decided he didn't like.

"Would you like to learn how to play the piano Hayato?"

Hayato could only frown, looking confused. Why would father come looking for him just to ask that? Why was he being asked in the first place? Usually one of the maids would drag him to see one of the many tutors and he didn't find out what he was supposed to be learning until the lesson had started.

This time was different, he was being given an option, by his father no less, who still had that strange look in his eyes that made Hayato believe that this simple question was somehow heavily weighted, as if it had some unknown significance that everyone but Hayato seemed to understand.

Which was the correct answer? Yes or no? What was the question? Hayato found himself nodding out of habit anyway, far too accustomed to adults and how they hid demands behind suggestions, as if there was ever a choice in the matter.

"Very well then, why don't you come down to the music room with me? There's someone I'd like you to meet." Hayato's father said, getting to his feet with a grunt and holding a hand out for expectantly for Hayato to take. It was a strange gesture, one that Hayato had never really gotten used to, but it was what his father expected so he took the hand with little hesitation. Adults were strange, mother never wanted him to take her hand, in fact she always tried to keep contact with him to a bare minimum. Bianchi never had that problem.

Walking down the hallways hand in hand with his father, Hayato couldn't help but stare at the man. The maids scurried away as they passed by, and Hayato had never quite managed to discover why they were all so skittish around his father. Everyone seemed to tense whenever father was in the room, and through process of elimination Hayato eventually put it down to his father's rather intimidating mustache.

Upon reaching the music room, Hayato let go of his father's hand and made to go in. He was surprised when he was grasped by the shoulder and turned round, his father crouching down once again so they could see eye to eye. Or eye to bristly mustache.

"Now Hayato, I want you to be on your best behavior alright?"

Hayato nodded, of course, he wouldn't dare misbehave in front of someone that his father had seen fit to personally introduce him to.

"Good boy. Now let's go meet the nice lady." With that his father stood up and opened the glass paneled door. Stepping into the room and leaving Hayato to trail nervously behind, peering from between his fathers leg and the doorframe.

His eyes widened. The lady sitting on the piano bench was beautiful. Not beautiful in the same way his mother was, high cheekbones and deep eyes and a manner that demanded respect. This woman was beautiful in a different way, soft eyes and flowing hair and grace. Gentle and delicate, her thin arms and pale skin making her look fragile, almost ethereal.

"T-this is Hayato. Hayato, this your new piano teacher. Why don't you go say hello?"

Forgetting his shyness, Hayato found himself nodding and stepping forward, never taking his eyes of the lady who was staring right back at him, a soft smile on her lips and a brightness to her eyes that may have just been a trick of the sunlight through the windows.

The lady stood up to meet him half way, and his eyes were suddenly drawn to the length of her hair, a flowing silver curtain that seemed to trail after her like a veil. And then she was holding out her hand, much like his father had done not a few minutes before, but taking it seemed far more natural this time. Then her other hand was sliding round his, two sets of long calloused fingers holding his hand gently, shaking it in some sort of odd handshake that made him giggle and brought a pretty smile to her lips.

"How do you do Hayato? I'm your new piano teacher. I hope we can have lots of fun together!"

Hayato blinked, taken aback slightly by the unexpected accent, but grinned once he'd worked the sentence through in his head. She was so nice!

"I'm Hayato..." he found himself wanting to say something more, finding his own introduction lacking in comparison. Finding nothing much else to say he settled on his proudest achievement to date. "...I'm three!"

He watched her face as she laughed, her hand gently guiding him towards the piano bench. A pair of hands picked him under the armpits before he could attempt to climb it though. He pouted as his father grinned at him and the nice lady laughed.

His father excused himself, promising to come back by the end of the lesson. And then all of a sudden the air grew tense, Hayato only able to look between the two in confusion as they exchanged sad looks full of meaning that Hayato couldn't possibly understand. Then the lady forced a smile, and his father sighed and reluctantly left. As the door closed and the lady sat him on her knee to see better, the tense atmosphere was forgotten in the place of sweet music.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing so far, it's great encouragement!**

**As for the pace or genre of this story, I have no idea. I find it difficult to put 10 years of life or so into one category, and the pace will probably reflect what's going on at the time. I'm hoping that that will keep things interesting. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own KHR. Damn.**

The lessons were always sporadic. Sometimes months in between, and if there was any pattern to the visits, Hayato couldn't find it. On the bright side, he was given lots of time to practice between lessons, and the lady always seemed so pleased with his progress. He loved her smile, and practiced all the more to be able to see it again.

He and Bianchi had been playing a board game when their father came in. Hayato was glad for the interruption, his sister always seemed to win, whether through skill or just an advantage of age.

"Hayato, your piano teacher is here. Are you ready for your lesson?"

Board game instantly forgotten, Hayato leaped to his feet taking his father's hand and resisting the urge to pull the man to hurry him along. He found himself grinning as excitement overtook him. It had been a while since the lady had last come, and he'd practiced a lot this time!

What he hadn't been expecting was his sister to stand up, grab their father's other hand and ask if she could learn piano too. Hayato wasn't sure if he liked the idea, but it wasn't his decision. Knowing that adults tended to preach that learning was always a good thing, he was fairly certain out of the income.

Father surprised him though by hesitating. Did that mean he didn't want Bianchi to learn?

"Father?" Bianchi asked, frowning at his hesitation and pulling a face that made Hayato think of mother.

"Well, how about you go to one lesson and see if you enjoy it?" A reluctant compromise at best. Hayato couldn't help but hope Bianchi hated it, and that she wouldn't want to intrude on any more of his piano lessons.

Together the three of them walked down to the music room, Hayato temporarily forgetting his reluctance at having Bianchi join the lesson in favor of picturing the happy smile and delighted praise when he showed the lady the results of his practice.

Coming to the music room, father surprised them again by telling them to stay there for a moment as he talked to the lady. They did, but Hayato couldn't help but move slightly, lean through the doorway and wave at the nice lady who smiled when she saw him over father's shoulder. He felt Bianchi behind him and ducked down so that she could see too.

They ducked round quickly when their father seemed to wonder what had caught the woman's attention.

"She's really pretty." Bianchi stated in an excited whisper, and Hayato could only nod in agreement, because really, she was. "And her hair's the same color as yours!"

"Really?" Hayato asked, having never made the comparison himself. He was kind of happy, everyone always commented on his unusual hair color. It was nice to know that someone else had it too. The fact he had something in common with the piano lady made it even better.

Just then their father appeared round the door and ushered them in, reminding them both to behave and exiting soon after. The sound of the door closing seemed to echo loudly, leaving the room in an awkward silence afterwards.

The lady stood up and made her way over to Bianchi, smiling gently. "Well it's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Bianchi." His sister stated without hesitation. "You speak kind of weird, where are you from?"

Hayato had been wondering the same thing, but had decided not to ask, neither having the confidence of his older sister and not entirely sure whether it was appropriate to ask. He hoped the lady wouldn't be mad, Bianchi was a very straight-forward person and never meant to be offensive...Usually.

He shouldn't have been worried, the lady was nice and just laughed, a quiet sound that Hayato wished he could learn to play on the piano, but had a feeling it just wouldn't be the same. "I'm Japanese, from Japan. I came to Italy five years ago to play piano. I guess I just loved it so much that I forgot to leave." The blush on her face as she spoke gave her a healthy glow, and the stark contrast made Hayato wonder if the lady had been so pale last time he had seen her.

Bianchi nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer. "So...what's your name?" She asked, climbing up on to the piano bench with little difficulty. Hayato climbed on to the lady's knee, even though he'd gotten a bit bigger and would probably be able to see the keys well enough himself. She didn't seem to mind though.

"Well, in Japan we usually call our elders by their family names. So you can call me Gokudera-san. You could even call me 'sensei' if you like, since you're my students. That's what we call our teachers."

Hayato listened enraptured as Bianchi fired off question after question, learning more and more about ...Go...Go-du-san...Sensei. She'd started playing piano when she was very young, the same age as Hayato actually, and had won lots of competitions for it in Japan. And Japan sounded like a wonderful place and...

"Ok, that's enough for now. How about we get started before we get too sidetracked hmm?"

Oh, right! He couldn't believe he'd forgotten, having been so eager just a few minutes ago to show her what he'd learned. The lesson began, and Hayato put all his effort into pressing the correct keys, making up for his small hands with practiced and determined swiftness. The lady smiled just as he'd imagined she would, but it was so much better this time because it was real.

"That was amazing Hayato!" His sister smiled from beside them, looking so proud and happy for him that he felt his face heat up. Bianchi was usually the one to receive the compliments, being so pretty and good at everything she tried. A compliment from her meant a lot.

The lady...no...Sensei, was part way through explaining how the symbols on the music book corresponded with sounds when the door swung open loudly, the glass panes rattling in their frames as the door impacted the wall behind. Hayato instinctively tried to burrow himself deeper into Sensei's lap, pulling her arms round himself tightly in an attempt to shield himself from the deep stare of his mother, looking more unkept than he'd ever seen her. Strands of her long pink hair had fallen from the hair-tie at the back and she wasn't wearing those high shoes she so often did. Hayato thought there was something different about her face, and it took him a moment to realize this was the first time he'd seen his mother without make-up. He didn't know why she bothered, she was very pretty even without it.

"Bianchi! What are you doing in here!" Bianchi and Hayato shared startled glances as their mother marched in and grabbed Bianchi by the arm, steering her towards the door. Not once even glancing his way. Sensei kept her eyes to the floor until the door slammed shut again.

When the glass panes had finished rattling, Hayato looked up at his Sensei with wide-eyes. She looked at him and forced a smile on her face, it looked wrong though. Hayato didn't take long to realize that it wasn't the same smile he'd been practicing so hard to see before. Determined, he decided he'd bring that old smile back before the lesson was over.

After dinner, he and Bianchi snuck into the music room, and Hayato showed her everything he'd learned so far and did his best to teach her in turn.

The next evening, they took turns practicing. The staff of the household cast a blind-eye over the two, instead favoring to gossip over the actions of the lady of the house the day before.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pretty different scene this chapter. Also I've taken some liberties with events, people, names, etc. because we don't have much to go on from the anime/manga. Not to worry, it should all tie in with the canon...unless something big happens in the manga before I finish this. I hate it when the canon reveals something else and all of a sudden your fic is no longer canon...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own :(**

Hayato was four and a half when he first heard the word 'mafia'. Considering the fact that he heard it from the backseat of a non-descript car, bound and gagged and sitting next to an incredibly intimidating and burly man, he came to the conclusion it wasn't a good thing.

Two others rode in the car as well, a woman, the curly-haired maid that always sneaked candy to him even after dinner, and the driver, a dark haired man with slick hair, gelled and combed vigorously in an attempt to hide his balding patch. Father had the same problem, but dealt with it more gracefully.

Hayato tried to make himself smaller as the large man beside him in the back seat sneered in his direction. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to stop the panicked tears from escaping and wishing he was in his bed like he was supposed to be, asleep, or perhaps even finding a torch and reading one of the books he frequently borrowed from the playroom.

The illusion couldn't last long though, especially not with the man and the maid arguing heatedly in the front of the car, the man's sudden barking voice making him jump.

"Just shut the hell up already! You've done what you've been paid to do, what the hell we do with the brat now is none of your damn business!"

The maid glanced back at him sadly and it was only then that Hayato realized that she was very much involved in this. Of course logically he'd known it before, she was the one that had led him outside into the gardens instead of his room, and it was there he'd been grabbed by the larger man and forcefully manhandled into a car parked a short distance from the estate. The woman had even been the one to pin him down while the balding man waiting in the car brutally tied his restraints, but only now was he tasting the bitter taste of betrayal.

He didn't like it.

A deep pressure settled in his chest all of a sudden, a sob tore from his throat before he could help it, choking him as the material of the gag muffled the sound and hindered the breath trying to escape his mouth. Panic until he remembered he could breathe through his nose, but, his chest still hurt, and he couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs. Had to get that thing out of his mouth. Clawed at it until he recognized the blurred knots, ropes pulled taught against his small fisted hands. Had to get hands free first, then the gag, then he could breathe. But the ropes burned and bit into his skin but, didn't matter, had to get out, had to breathe, had to, had to...

"Oi! What the fuck's wrong with you! Shut up!"

Something solid wrapped around his arm, pulled it, jerked it, then pushed it, his body and all, only stopping when his head rattled against the hard plastic of the car door, pinning him up against it by his shoulder. Struggled fiercer, had to get out. Taste of metal was filling his mouth, choking on it as he gasped, trying to draw air. Had to get out, get out get...

"He's scared you moron! Let go of him!"

"But he's..."

"Doesn't matter, we're here now."

With that the engine cut, the absent rumbling leaving a heavy silence in the car. Hayato suddenly becoming aware of his own quiet whimpering, tried to muffle it as reason gradually found its way back into his panicked mind. The grip on his shoulder eased, the hulking man pinning him to the door slowly backing away.

"What? Why the hell are you just sitting there? Get out and bring the brat inside." The balding man ordered after a few seconds of awkward silence. Pulling the handbrake on angrily and getting out quickly, the car shook as he slammed the door shut. The maid stepped out and leaned into the back seat, mopping the tears from his cheeks and fussing over the angry red mark that the seatbelt had left, cutting into his neck. Then he was scooped up into warm arms, and Hayato wished his hands were free so that he could hold on to the lady's neck, even if this whole thing was her fault. He settled for settling his head in the crook of her neck, breathing in her perfume and wishing it was more like Sensei's.

Cushioned footfalls and the wet due that sprung into the air as they walked let Hayato know they were moving across long grass. It was too dark to see much, and Hayato had no interest in looking. He hadn't a clue where they were anyway, had no idea how far away home was or even in what direction. Hopefully that wouldn't matter. Father would come for him. Father would know where he was, even if he didn't know it himself.

A door creaked open, and Hayato was assaulted by the smell of rotten wood and dust. Tried not to choke on it as his lungs and throat became scratchy. His eyes burned from the effort. The effort was in vain however as a candle was lit, the sudden small light making his eyes ache and water after the prolonged darkness.

"Look, can we at least take this stupid thing out his mouth? He obviously doesn't like it." The maid reasoned irritably, and Hayato looked up to peer at her face, pale make-up not quite enough to cover the frown lines around her eyes and forehead.

"Would you stop fussing already woman? Knew we should have thrown you out at the nearest..."

Hayato stopped paying attention as suddenly he was pulled from the maid's grasp. The big man, nearly silent despite his size, picked him up easily and tucked him under one arm as if he weighed nothing more than a textbook. Trying to hold on, hands bound as they were, was futile. It didn't stop him from trying.

"Ugh, see? Take the gag off him and he'll scream the whole damned building down." The balding man sneered at him, the man's angry face the last thing Hayato saw before he was unceremoniously tossed into a dark room, the grating slide of a rusted metal bolt lock echoing loudly in his ears.

**Apologies, I'm not usually one for a cliff-hangers but this chapter was never going to get published unless I stopped it somewhere. Will try not make you wait too long!**

**Much thanks for the reviews so far! Really appreciated! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay! Blame real life and assignments that I didn't know about until last minute because it was all explained in my second languages T.T**

**This chapter was going to be longer but with the rate things were moving I felt it would be better to separate them. I'm not opposed to long chapters but it seemed like a good place to stop and I'm well aware that I've not updated in a couple of weeks ^_^'**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, I'd like to think it would be awesome if I did though **

Hayato woke up to something soft tickling his face. Blinking open his eyes, it took them a while to adjust to the dim light that barely managed to squeeze through the rotted gaps in the door. A pair of small black beady eyes attached to long whiskers stared back at him. Yelping through the gag, Hayato shot up into a sitting position, flailing at the rodent with his legs until it scurried off, Hayato not taking his eyes from it until the last inch of the long tail disappeared into an impossibly small hole in the wall.

A sigh of relief showed his breath in front of him, and he sat transfixed by the dancing vapor as his breath became visible. It reminded him of smoke, although without the warmth of the accompanying fire. It was late autumn, and the air had a chill to it that made Hayato's fingers numb even under the rough ropes. Tears pricked at his eyes again, and he hid his face in his knees. Maybe he should try and go to sleep again? It would be hard with the cold ground and the rat might come back, but maybe father would find him by the time he woke up again.

Leaning up against the moulding wall farthest away from where the rat disappeared, Hayato curled up as best as he could, not knowing whether to concentrate on trying not to cry or trying not to shiver. He failed at both.

X x X x X

The sound of rusted metal grating woke him, and Hayato lifted his head, eyes bright and hopeful. Had it worked? Was father here for him now?

When the door swung open and the silhouette of the maid was revealed instead, the disappointment made his chest tight and achy. A candle was lit and swung around wildly in an attempt to find him, Hayato had to narrow his eyes until the light stopped hurting. He'd been in the dark for far too long. Unable to see he listened to the hurried footsteps instead, feeling gentle hands brush through his hair in order to find the small knot securing the gag in place. But then the lady seemed to hesitate, and Hayato's heart dropped as she let go of the knot, taking his face in her hands instead, staring him in the eyes like a challenge much the same as Bianchi often did when they were arguing.

"I've been given full responsibility for you, Master Hayato. They've agreed to let me untie you so long as you behave yourself. Understand? No screaming or fighting now. If you do, you'll be tied up again, probably worse than before, and I'll get into a lot of trouble too."

Wide-eyed, Hayato nodded slowly. The concept of someone getting into trouble for another's actions wasn't a new one, having seen many a tutor or maid being sent away, never to enter the mansion again after failing to control either him or Bianchi. Whoever the men that had kidnapped him were, they were far scarier than father, and any repercussions this woman might take on his behalf would be far worse than a lost job.

She stared at him a moment longer, judging, and then careful fingers felt at the knot before swiftly working it free, sliding down his face to gently pry away the material where it had stuck, the corners of his lips stinging from being dry and forced open for so long.

Having that dreaded object away and off of his face was wonderful, Hayato relished being able to breathe through his mouth again, no matter how dry and raspy his throat felt and how the smell of the rotted wood seemed to settle on the back of his tongue. Hayato opened his mouth, wanting to thank her, ask why she was helping him, what time it was, what was happening and when he could finally go home but...he closed his mouth and stared at the dark brown flakes that had dried to the floor, reflecting the dancing candle light like wet paint. There was a lot of it, and it wasn't until Hayato felt the maid wrestling the tightly bound ropes off his hands that he realized it wasn't paint at all.

After a good three minutes of fumbling and hearing a few curses that Hayato was sure the lady would never have dared utter in his father's presence, Hayato was able to wriggle his hands free, moving them gingerly after realizing they hurt a lot after being forced into a single position for so long. The cold air nipped at the areas where the rope had rubbed and burned and torn the skin.

"Master Hayato, you're shivering! Just wait there and I'll go try and find a blanket."

Hayato nodded, not daring to look, just staring at the dancing wick of the candle that she thankfully left behind. Only when the door creaked close and a loud man's voice screamed for the bolt be slid back into place did he dare to move, curling up and bringing his raw and chilled hands in front of his face, thinking that the burns should hurt more than they did. He could worry about that later, when father came to get him and he was back in his warm bed. For now though, he did his best to keep his hands warm, breathing onto them harshly and staring as the vapor floated above the candle flame and out of sight.

X x X x X

"Master Hayato! You shouldn't fall asleep! You'll freeze to death!"

"Wasn' sleepin'" he answered back drowsily, until he remembered he wasn't supposed to speak and twisted to look at the maid's pale face and then at the door, as if one of the people behind it would drag her away from him and punish her there and then.

"You can speak Master Hayato, just don't scream the place down. Nothing's going to happen unless you start kicking up a fuss." A worn but wooly blanket was unceremoniously dropped on his head and he pulled it off in time to see the lady considering the dusty blood-stained floor for a minute then sighing and unceremoniously letting herself fall to the floor beside him.

They sat side by side for a while, watching the flame of the candle gently melt away at the wax as Hayato tried to make himself comfortable in the blanket he'd been given. It smelt funny, like wet fur, and was full of holes but Hayato nestled himself in it without hesitation, too cold to care and in no position to complain.

A sudden bout of laughter startled him after the prolonged silence. Hayato looked over to see the maid pulling the headband off the uniform she wore. "I was worried about getting my uniform dirty" she explained after noticing his confused stare, "but somehow, I get the feeling I won't be wearing it again after this."

"Isn't that a good thing? The maid uniforms look really silly don't they?" Hayato asked, genuinely confused as to why anyone would even wear it once. Bianchi had told him once that the uniforms were so frilly so that they could dust anything just by walking past it. He'd believed it until he'd asked one why she was bothering using a duster to clean the piano in the music room.

"Well I'm glad you agree Master Hayato," the lady said smiling, absentmindedly picking at the frills of her apron. "But that's not what I meant, I mean I'll definitely have lost my job over this. You don't get away with kidnapping a mafia boss' son with just a slap on the wrist you know."

"What does 'mafia' mean?" Hayato asked, staring at her in open curiosity now. She'd never spoken to him so informally before, even though she had worked in the mansion for as long as he could remember, and probably then some. It was like speaking to a different person.

The lady looked shocked at the question, then gave a melancholy smile and reached over and ruffled his hair in a gesture that he was completely unfamiliar with but for some reason didn't mind. "It's probably better if you don't know. You're a good kid, I'm sorry I got you into this Master Hayato."

"Hayato."

"What?"

"You said that you wouldn't be working for father anymore. So...can't you just call me Hayato now?"

The smile that greeted him this time was the real thing, and the lady threw her maid's headband out of sight before reaching into the blanket and clasping his hand. "Well then Hayato...you can call me Elma."

**This chapter was a very much start and stop, and I hope this hasn't been reflected too much in the flow. A bit uncertain about this one, so any comments are very much appreciated! Just a warning that the wait for the next chapter may be the same as this one, I've got some busy weeks ahead!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Apologies for the delay, I'm afraid this chapter just refused to be written. Finally got there though! I'm quite proud of it.**

**Warning: Some bad words and perhaps some too detailed descriptions of not the nicest things. (Would rather not give it away) I'm keeping this as T but do let me know if the rating should go up and I'll change it. I still think its fine.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Sucks for me.**

"Elma?" Hayato asked groggily, trying to judge what time of day it was from the tiny pinpricks of light that squeezed their way through the rotted walls. "'When can I go home?"

Elma blinked tiredly at him for a moment until his words seemed to process. It had been a long night, and neither of them had particularly felt like sleeping. Hayato watched as she rubbed her eyes tiredly, smudging her eye make-up a little and tried to pull the bouncy ringlets off her face, hair having been uncooperative the moment she removed the headband. When the hair bounced back in her face again she huffed irritatedly before turning and giving him her full attention.

"Shouldn't be too much longer I think...they stated their demands not long after we got here."

"Demands?" Hayato asked confused, unable to link how anyone wanting anything equated to how long it would take him to get home. Elma looked at him and must have read the confusion on his face, because she sighed deeply and ran a frustrated hand over her face and into her hair. He recognized the frustrated movement as one that mother would sometimes do. Bianchi claimed it was because she'd been arguing with father again, but Hayato had never worked out why she wouldn't so much as look at him for the next few days afterwards. Regardless he knew the look well enough to know he wouldn't get an answer and that it would be better to make himself scarce.

Burying himself deeper in the blanket, Hayato's heart leapt in his chest when Elma practically growled, "How the hell am I supposed to explain the mafia to a four year old!" She frowned in his direction and he blinked back with big surprised eyes.

"Ok...let's see..." She trailed off frustrated for a moment before inspiration seemed to strike. "Your father's a very important man right?" Hayato nodded, "Well, because he's so important, he can do pretty much anything he wants. Those guys in there," she jerked a thumb towards the creaky door, "don't like what he's doing, so they've grabbed you. As soon as your father agrees to their conditions and stops what he's doing, they give you back. See? It's sort of...just a way to make sure they've got his attention."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, so they've told him what they want now. He just has to agree to what they want and you can go home."

Hayato grinned happily, reassured that this whole horrible experience would be over soon. Making himself comfy he planned to sleep the remainder of his captivity away.

Alas it was not to be so, and when he woke up again the sun had gotten brighter. Somehow the slight heat of the sun on an otherwise chilly day made the whole room smell worse than it had when he arrived. Hayato couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust as a sickly sweet smell circulated the room from an unidentifiable source. At the very least it wasn't as cold anymore, but Hayato was in no hurry to leave the warmth of the blanket, even if it was old and tattered and had a distinctive smell of its own.

Looking around and seeing no one else, Hayato was upset to find himself alone. He figured that Elma must have left sometime during his nap. He really hoped she'd come back soon, the room wasn't big at all, but it somehow managed to seem even more barren than the ballroom in the mansion. A lump made itself known in his throat and a heavy weight seemed to wrap around his shoulders and push against his chest. Elma had said that father would probably be coming for him soon, and even if Elma didn't come back he could easily wait alone for a little while longer. Just a little bit longer.

It was nearing dusk before he heard anything from anyone, just the creaking of the dilapidated building and the scurry of rats underneath the floorboards to keep him company. He had tried his best not to cry but as hour after hour passed it became more and more difficult as a cold blanket of hopelessness surrounded him. The sound of a creaky footstep on the floorboards gave him a start but was more than welcome.

The door to his prison opened and he couldn't help but grin when Elma stood there with a smile and a shopping bag, uniform slightly creased. "Thought you might be hungry so I done a little bit of shopping while I was out."

And just like that the fear disappeared, quickly to be replaced by hunger when a supermarket bought sandwich was casually tossed at him. He caught it awkwardly and realized he'd missed three meals today. A whole day...what was taking father so long?

The question was put aside in favor of opening the sandwich and stuffing it in his mouth, the bread was processed and the vegetables were anything but fresh but Hayato found himself too hungry to care. He'd never been a particularly fussy eater and wasn't about to complain, especially when suppressed hunger suddenly made itself known.

"Oi, slow down or you'll choke Hayato." Elma shoved an open bottle of water into his hand and getting the hint he stopped chewing long enough to drink.

Making a point to try and slow down a bit after that, Hayato looked up at her and spoke, "Where were you?"

Elma looked guilty, and Hayato frowned because he'd just wanted to know, not to make her feel bad for leaving him. Although admittedly he would have preferred it if she didn't. He told her as much and she ruffled his hair again. He figured that if she kept doing that much more he might have to borrow Bianchi's comb when he got back.

"Sorry kiddo, dumb and dumber through there wouldn't give me a ride into town so I had to walk to make a phone call. I would have stayed but..."

"But it was important?" Hayato guessed, having heard the same story from father so often that he honestly didn't expect to see the man for more than ten minutes a day, not including meal-times.

"Yeah..." Evidently she felt that she owed him a better explanation that that and so continued, "I left my little sister on her own...couldn't afford to pay a baby-sitter for a non-specified amount of time. She's doing fine though! She's a smart kid."

Hayato frowned, not liking the idea that whatever time Elma was spending here with him, there was someone else somewhere that needed her too. He didn't want her to leave but father _had_ to be coming for him by now. He could manage a bit longer. "You should go see her. I'm fine."

"Not just yet Hayato, I need to finish this job first. Meaning I need to wait until you're father agrees to break off the plans for an alliance agreement with the Vongola, just like you. Then we can both go home."

"Alliance with the...Vongola?" For some reason Hayato wasn't understanding half the the things said to him today and he felt like he was missing some vital piece of information which no one seemed to want to share.

"Um...it's a mafia thing." He was right, no one wanted to share. "Anyway I have to stay here for the time being or I don't get paid. Lucky for you eh?"

"Paid?" Hayato asked incredulously, feeling betrayed in that she'd done this willingly but glad in that she those men that had thrown him in here hadn't forced her into it.

Elma gave a deep sigh and looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes, "The Morciello family...offered me enough to retire on, just for this. I'm sorry Hayato, it's just...you probably wont understand but...money is very important and a single income is barely enough. I mean...my sister and I, we're getting by but it's hard you know?"

He didn't know. And she was right that Hayato didn't really understand. But he knew that family was important and if there was one thing he knew far too well it was a sister's ability to influence decisions.

"She's the light of my life Hayato, if I can do anything at all to make things easier for her in the long run...everything is so much easier when you've got a bit of money behind you and...I'm sorry. I figured everything would be resolved a lot quicker than this and we could go on our ways."

A slam of a door and a yell of outrage had both of them turning their heads towards the sound, Elma's brown curls bouncing along behind her.

With the thin moulding walls and the volume of the man's voice they didn't even have to try and eavesdrop.

"How the hell could they refuse! What are they thinking! The Vongola's powerful but hell, we've got their fucking heir!"

The muttering of someone else on the other side of the door was ignored as Hayato felt his insides constrict, throat in his mouth he whispered quietly and found his voice shaking. "Elma? Does that mean...he's not coming?"

She turned to him and the look of panic in her eyes said it all, the door separating his prison from the rest of the building flung open and Hayato didn't have a clue what to do. Just stare at the people in the doorway and wonder what happened now, the possibility having never been thought of nor discussed. The balding man looked angry and the tendons in his neck stood out as if he was tensing up and getting ready to shout some more. The larger man behind had cold eyes and stood tense, awaiting orders. And one other peering from the back, a meek man with sideburns and a perfectly symmetrical mustache that only drew attention to his squint nose, obviously having been broken at one time or another.

Hayato tried to make himself small but he was surprised when the angered man went for Elma instead, dragging her up roughly by the arm slapping her in the face without restraint and letting her fall to the ground. "What the hell are you playing at? Bringing us the fucking bastard child instead!"

Elma just looked up at him and glared, hand clutching her face and speaking through the pain. "Shouldn't matter, he's legitimate as far as the paperwork goes."

The man sneered in disgust, "I'll deal with you later." And then his eyes landed on Hayato and the smile on the man's lips was anything but nice. "First of all we'll deal with this brat. We've got someone else on the inside, we can grab the other brat and send this one back in pieces, let them know we're serious. If we hurry we can stop this alliance before it even happens, they cant afford to lose the real heir. Then with no risk of a the Vongola interfering, taking them down will be easy. Sound like a plan boys?"

"Yeah...all good apart from the chopping to pieces part? If you're seriously going to then I'll just..." The man with the crooked nose edged towards the door.

"Tch, get out of here, squeamish bastard. Go play messenger and tell the boss we've had to make a change in plans."

The man scurried out the door and Hayato forgot how to breathe. They were going to what? What? He edged his way backwards, wanting to get as far away from these...these...

Were they...was this mafia?

The balding man nodded to his remaining companion. "Grab him." Hayato somehow managed to coordinate his body enough to make it to his feet, managed a single step before a hand grabbed his collar.

A frantic scream, "Don't you dare - " and an explosion of sound. Loud and sudden, like a -

Elma.

Hayato didn't even feel himself being grabbed. Didn't even notice as he was lifted off the ground, just turned his head to see what had -

Elma.

Oh God, Elma.

Blood, so much blood. A neat hole at her right temple and on the other side...bouncy brown hair heavy with blood and...

The room was silent as all eyes turned the fallen young woman, before the balding man lowered his gun and made a disgusted sound as he noticed the blood that had splattered onto his once immaculate shoes.

He felt himself shoved against the wall, but didn't even look at the man with the approaching gun. Only distantly hearing the orders to keep him there, hold him steady. Just looking made him feel sick but he couldn't take his eyes from the body lying not six feet away, with half a head that had a few minutes ago been smiling.

"Let's make this quick."

A click as the gun is cocked and Hayato can't even care enough to look at it. Couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"_I'm sorry I got you into this Master Hayato."_

Didn't even blink when a pair of mosquitos flew right by his nose.

**No prizes for guessing whose going to be in the next chapter. **

**Yeah, this refused to be written, just couldn't get into the mood. Then my friend and I decided to go on a trip in true student fashion, backpacks and hostel stays. So currently its 3am and I'm staying in a spooky hostel in the middle of a foreign country...well let's just say my environment appears to have an effect on my writing. Great, I may have just given myself nightmares now.**

**Hope I can avoid getting mugged and losing my laptop long enough to find a wifi spot and get this chapter uploaded.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. Rest assured that if you're reading this, then I've probably survived :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Apologies for the slow update. Holidays, my traveller's lifestyle and exams (think I have one tomorrow, should probably check that) all combined to make writing this chapter a living hell. In fact, yet again I found myself writing it in a random inn after I was forced to stay in London after heavy snow delayed my flight. Why do I only ever get inspiration in odd places?**

**Disclaimer: As nice as it would be, still don't own. **

Another explosion of sound and Hayato finally looked up as the world tilted, and something sliced past him, felt his cheek sting and burn as the bullet rushed by, separating the skin like a hot knife through butter.

"Shit! You call that holding him steady? You're lucky I didn't shoot your damn leg off!" Growled the slick-haired man, irritatedly snapping the revolver open to count the remaining bullets before snapping it shut again. Looking up again the man frowned at his still silent companion.

"I...I think something bit me." It was the first time he'd heard the larger man speak, his face pale and staring at the perfect circle in the wall that was almost as near the man's thigh as it was to Hayato's head.

"Tch, what the hell kind of excuse is that? Hold him steady this time, I hate wasting bulle- Hey!" Hayato barely had time to push himself against the wall, out of the way just as the large man fell bonelessly to the ground.

"The hell?" The man took two hesitant steps toward his comrade, stopped and narrowed his eyes at Hayato as if he might have been the one to take down the man more than three times his size.

Hayato wasn't paying attention, more focused on the silhouette of a shaggy haired man in the standing silently in the doorway, the small orange glow of a cigarette casting a flicker of light over a five o-clock shadow.

Noticing Hayato's attention was focused elsewhere, his remaining captor whirled around to follow his gaze instead. Another gun appeared in the man's other hand and was pointed at the newcomer before Hayato could blink, the other one still pointing steadily at his head.

"Did you do this!" He yelled, gesturing wildly with the gun in his hand to the man lying prone on the floor.

"And if I did?" A plume of smoke and the man reached out an arm casually.

"Oi! Don't you move or I'll shoot this kid's brains out! You hear me!"

"Seriously, what are you so tense for? I'm not armed." And he wasn't, the extended arm he held out was void of weapons, fingers left to curl as if a bird were perched on it.

Or, a mosquito.

"N-no...you couldn't be...T-rident Sh-Shamal?"

The cigarette moved as the man smirked, taking a casual step forward that made his captor swing his other gun towards the newcomer in desperation.

"Got it in one, seems you're smarter than you look." Another step forward and a smartly dressed man came fully into view, clothes partially hidden by a large lab coat. Another casual drag of a cigarette. "But that's not saying much really is it?"

"What the hell are you doing here? You've got nothing to do with this!"

"New contract, new business. You know how it goes."

"W-wait just a minute, I'm sure we can negotiate! M-my boss can pay you, more than, double even, your contract! J-just..."

The newcomer made a 'Hmm' noise as though he were considering it, "Interesting. If only you'd told me that three seconds ago perhaps we could have made an agreement. Oh well, doubt he'd cough up that much just to save your ugly face."

The man stared at him bug-eyed for a moment, one of the guns clattering to the ground. "Th-three seconds...?"

And then he crumpled.

Hayato watched wide-eyed as the newcomer casually stepped over the bodies en route to him. He didn't know what to do, what to think, could do nothing but stare and wonder if that had all really happened despite the three dead bodies littering the room as evidence. A shadow fell over him and Hayato looked up to see the man who had rescued him. "Come on kid, your dad's waiting and I'm not getting paid enough to sit around waiting until you decide to stop acting like a startled rabbit."

Hayato nodded, mind strangely blank as he unsteadily pushed himself off the wall. Father...had been looking for him after all? Hadn't left him to be...

"Oi, what the hell kid? You don't cry when you almost get your head blown off but now you start?"

Not really caring for appearances at the moment, Hayato gripped his saviors lab coat and sobbed into it, so relieved he hadn't been forgotten about, but so sorry for all that had happened but so glad it was over, and totally missing Shamal's look of disgust as blood, tears and snot soaked into his once pristine coat.

"Soooo not cute. I better be getting overtime for this."

* * *

"This yours?"

Hayato found himself eyes to mustache with his father, as Shamal casually held him under the arms as he presented him to his father like one would present a trophy. He wasn't home yet, Shamal had taken him someplace else, to a building that was massive even by his standards, but he really couldn't care as he saw his father hurry towards them in the reception area, quickly flanked by two other men, an older man that moved fluidly in a suit despite his age suggesting otherwise, and a...construction worker of some sort?

"Hayato!"

And he knew he was crying again, that he must look a horrible and stupid with his limbs dangling awkwardly from the way Shamal was holding him and the way the tears were dripping off his chin but he would happily put up with mothers scowl for it later. He was past caring and when father reached out for him Hayato clung on tight around his fathers neck and burying his face in the man's wide shouldered suit jacket as his father balanced him awkwardly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Ninth! I don't think I could ever repay..."

"Don't worry about it my friend. Please, consider it the first step towards a great and healthy alliance between our two families."

"The man who saved him," Hayato felt his father's breath tickle his ear as the man hoisted him up his shoulder with difficulty. "I'd like to thank him, but..."

Hayato tried to dry his eyes and look up then, wondering where his savior could have possibly disappeared to in the last thirty seconds.

"Um...maybe it'd be a good idea to thank him later." Hayato recognized the accent of the man who spoke, feint though it was, as the same as Sensei's. Following the line of sight of the Japanese construction worker -maybe he was a miner, judging by the light on his helmet? - they winced upon seeing one of the secretaries reaching over the desk to slap Shamal across the face hard enough to send him head over heels and crashing into a nearby wall.

An awkward silence surrounded the spectators as Shamal gingerly got to his feet, blew a kiss towards the reception desk and limped back towards them rubbing his cheek, "Your secretaries are just as prickly as ever Ninth..."

"That's why I hired them." The older man said with a smile that was almost too kindly, "Especially after the last two got pregnant and had to go on maternity leave..."

"As I keep telling you, that wasn't me!" Shamal yelled in denial.

"I never said anything of the sort. Now come, let's not keep our new friend waiting Iemitsu, we have an alliance to finalize and I'm sure after all that has happened little Hayato here would like to get back home to his own bed." The older man smiled kindly at him and Hayato ducked his head under his father's chin and hid.

"Wait Ninth! I expect drycleaning expenses included in my next paycheck," Shamal grumped as he gestured to his stained labcoat, puffing at his cigarette irritably. "Brat got blood and snot all over my coat."

"I'll see to it, and please refrain from smoking inside Shamal, there are children present." The Ninth smiled again and turned to leave, Shamal stomping his cigarette out on the marble floor at him and making faces behind the Ninth all the while.

Meanwhile Hayato's father had been looking for the source of aforementioned blood and found the deep graze on Hayato's cheek.

"Hey don't worry!" Shamal assured him amiably, "I'm a doctor! Gave him a once over earlier in the car. Just bumps and scrapes. Might wanna consider giving him a tetanus shot though, place was swarming with rats and stunk like shit. Oh, and dont worry about that scratch on his face. It won't even scar. Can't get a much cleaner cut than a bullet graze!"

"B-bullet?" Hayato felt his father's grip around him tighten and he vaguely recalled almost getting his head blown off not three hours before. It felt like a lifetime ago, something from a distant nightmare, but the images were still clear enough to make him feel sick. He clutched at his fathers suit tighter and instead tried to remember the last time father had picked him up like this.

He felt rather than saw the group walking, the miner, Iemitsu, keeping pace with his father behind as the old man in front led way through grand carpeted corridors until they stopped at a door, whatever was on the other side given away by the 'Conference Room' label that hung above. Not that Hayato was completely sure what a conference was, only aware that they had a room at home that was labelled the same.

His train of thought ended abruptly when father tried to put him down.

"I know, I know, come on Hayato. I won't be long at all." His father whispered to him as he tried to use his body to shield the embarrassing scene from the Ninth. Hayato just clung on all the tighter, frightened of the consequences - his father's temper was legendary, although Hayato had never seen it himself - but more frightened not to. As though to let go would mean to be back in that room again, back with those ropes around his wrists and the wad of material shoved and tied back into his mouth, back in the dark with only light glinting off the eyes of the rats as they scurried by him and back against the wall, watching the blood pour out of -

"Hayato, be quiet! You're making a scene! Fuck! I'm so very sorry Ninth, he's never...Hayato! HAYATO!"

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Hayato can come in with us. If that's alright with you Ninth?" Iemitsu suggested, and the older man must have nodded because his father stopped trying to pull him off, even if Hayato could still feel the man's angry eyes directed at him. And he knew he should let go, father's work was important. But father's work was always important and just this once...

"Look at the state you've gotten yourself kiddo." Iemitsu's voice appeared closer than expected once his father was seated, and Hayato jumped around to come face to face with a tissue that quickly got to work wiping his face and then was squeezed over his nose. Hayato blew on command.

"Um...thank you." Father thanked the blonde man, who grinned in response, helping himself to a seat opposite.

"Hehe, no problem. Got a kid back home about his age, maybe a little bit younger? Now he's a real crybaby. Cries when he falls over, cries when he steps into a puddle, cries when he's sleepy and when he gets too much sleep. Flew out just yesterday and couldn't even get a proper goodbye from him because he started crying when the neighbor's chihuahua barked at him." Iemitsu grumbled but it was obvious from the fondness in his voice when he spoke that he wasn't really complaining at all.

"Yes indeed, little Tsunayoshi-kun really does cry a lot," the Ninth chuckled as he took a seat at the head of the table, "I've yet to decide if it's because of his innocent mind or if you simply over-indulge him Iemitsu."

"Weeeeell, a little of column A and a little of column B I'd like to think." Iemitsu grinned again, then turned his attention onto Hayato's father. "What about your little one there? He looks sweet enough but you know what they say, the cutest ones are always the terrors."

An awkward silence ensued and Hayato waited patiently, wondering what his father would say about him. He'd always tried his best to be well behaved at dinner time when they all ate together, and the maids were always sure to remind him of his manners and to straighten his tie before they ushered him into the dining room. His father said nothing. For some reason the lack of comment hurt more than anything negative could have.

The silence continued until the Ninth cleared his throat. "Back to business, as we previously discussed, the Vongola family will provide your family aid and protection as is necessary under the condition that - "

Hayato stopped listening, feeling depressed until he saw Iemitsu making faces at him over the table. Glancing up to make sure his father wasn't looking, he crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out in retaliation.

" - pertinent information regarding enemy families be shared and -"

Listening to the droning voice, Hayato quickly found himself becoming sleepy, trying to loose himself under his father's suit jacket as Iemitsu continued to make faces at him long after it was funny.

"Now if everyone is in agreement with these terms, we'll be requiring all three of our signatures unless there's anything anyone would like to add. Iemitsu, if you're quite finished?" The Ninth glanced over at his external advisor, growing exasperated that the man still had not changed out of his 'work' uniform that he had arrived in yesterday and was currently trying to reverse his eyelids in attempts to awe a child that wasn't even paying attention.

"I'll gladly agree to those terms Vongola. However, even after you have been so kind to help me out, I have another request for you, regarding recent events..."

"Of course." The Ninth looked at Hayato's father expectantly.

"Whoever done this," Hayato jerked out of his doze as his father twisted his head so that everyone could see the bullet graze on his cheek, "I wan't them gone. I won't risk the same thing happening again. Also, if I could ask you one more thing...I'd like a tutor for a Bianchi and Hayato, someone you'd recommend, one of the best. Tonight has shown me that sheltering them from the ways of the mafia simply wont work anymore. They need to learn what to expect, how to defend themselves..."

"The first was a given, I was actually hoping that Hayato might be able to help us there." The Ninth looked at him expectantly, as if he somehow already knew that he knew. Hayato just nodded.

"_The Morciello family...offered me enough to retire on, just for this."_

That had been just a few hours ago.

"_I'm sorry Hayato."_

"And the other?"

This time the Ninth looked troubled, brows furrowing deeply as he thought. "Well you see...there are many mafioso here, great mafioso, but...as to which ones would be willing to train with children...Killers and kids don't often mix I'm afraid."

Father and son watched as Iemitsu stood up and whispered in the Ninth's ear. The Ninth chuckled and Iemitsu grinned and sat down again.

"Although Iemitsu may have just found a solution. However there is one condition."

Hayato was forced to lean forward as his father shifted to the edge of the seat. "What?"

"How many women do you currently have under your employ...?"

**You know, only after I started this fic did I realize that it's going to be rife with OCs. Personally, I hate them in most stories, so let me know how I'm doing with writing them. As much as I dislike them, with so little to go on regarding Gokudera's past they are an unfortunately necessary plot device. Although we will be seeing some familiar faces occasionally.**

**As for the actual characters, I hope I'm doing okay with them too. It's hard to write them and maintain a child's point of view, I hope my style didn't slip too much as a result. Shamal and Iemitsu are quite fun characters to write though, and things should pick up now that Shamal is in the picture.**

**Will update when I can. Feedback is always welcomed :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**I have exams to study. I have a 10 page translation comparison analysis to write in a second language. I have packing to do and accommodation to find for my next placement...and here I am, writing fanfiction. I leave the country in 6 days. 5 actually, in an hours time. And yet, despite all that, this chapter just sorta wrote itself. Procrastination, thou art my worst enemy and my readers' friend.**

**Disclaimer: As awesome as it would be to wake up one day owning KHR, it didn't happen today. Damn**

It was another eight hours before they got home, arriving in the early hours of the morning. After a quick bath, Hayato slept a whole day straight. By the next day the gossiping household staff had managed to convince themselves that he'd either contracted some deadly kind of disease or that his kidnappers had drugged him.

It was the day after that things started getting...weird.

Both his and Bianchi's bedrooms were manned by a two person guard now, as Hayato discovered after an all too real nightmare which sent him scurrying from his room into hers in the dead of night. The guards outside his door jumped out their skins when he threw himself through it, and they trailed after him awkwardly as he ran through the maze of corridors to Bianchi's room. He found himself at gun-point when the guards outside his sister's room had heard the approaching commotion and armed themselves. In his panicked state of mind, Hayato had screamed until Bianchi emerged from her room in a nightgown, only eight years old but managing to do a more than adequate job of lecturing all adults involved.

The day after that, the entrance hall was filled dozens of young women, maid applicants, according to the stern faced housekeeper that was cluelessly trying to figure out why one maid was to be replaced by twenty. The applications were taking twice as long to process as a result of the extensive background checks on each and every individual. The woman looked haggard.

At the same time investigations were being conducted on their current staff. Hayato had told his father and the Vongola all that had happened as best as he could, and one thing that he remembered clearly was that the man in his nightmares had been so certain that they could get a hold of Bianchi as well. The conclusion; there was a mole amongst them. Hayato wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but according to father they had to find it quickly and they still hadn't. In the mean time any staff working with him and Bianchi were to do so in pairs. This was met without complaint for the most part, apart from the poor guard that had to sit through numerous tutoring sessions and the tutors that often ended up sweating profusely as the guard decided that laying out his weaponry on the desk and cleaning it far was more interesting than listening in on children's school lessons.

Oddest of all though was surprisingly, father.

In the last two days Hayato seen more of the man than he had for the past month. Despite all that was going on in and around the mansion, his father somehow kept finding time in his busy schedule to appear at odd times throughout the day. Not only that, but he kept asking such menial questions that Hayato wondered if it wasn't some sort of test.

"Well, what's your favorite color Hayato? I like green, it reminds me of summer when all the leaves are on the trees and everything is in bloom. Well?" Hayato's father asked seemingly randomly, holding his son's hand as they walked to the dining room together. That was another thing Hayato had noticed, father had started holding his hand practically every time they walked together, a few times even picking him up. It was so out of character that Hayato didn't know how to react.

"Um...blue?" Hayato hesitated a guess that he thought father might approve of. He hadn't ever given the question much thought before, but blue seemed a safe enough guess.

"Ok, but what is it about blue you like? Does it remind you of anything, like the sky or a lake or...there's an idea! How about you and I go fishing when the weather warms up a bit? Or camping! Thats it! Your grandfather and I always used to..." Father trailed off and looked at him uncertainly, bushy eyebrows furrowing. "Well, do you like that idea Hayato? Boys day out in the wilderness?"

No. He'd had enough wilderness to deal with inside that little shack, and it's almost always cold at night, so why anyone would want to willingly sleep outside unnecessarily was completely lost on him.

"Yes, father."

They came to a stop just outside the dining room, and Hayato stepped back as his father knelt to the ground in front of him. He wondered when father's hair had started turning grey.

"You know that you can say no if you like Hayato. I'm your father, not your...boss or something alright? You don't always have to agree with me."

"Yes, father."

Hayato could only watch his father sigh and stand up, dust off his knees and give him a gentle pat on the head. Somehow Hayato got the feeling that he'd done something wrong, but for the life of him couldn't figure out what.

* * *

"He just got a wake up call is all." Bianchi explained later that night when he asked if she'd noticed anything amiss.

"What do you mean?"

Bianchi took a minute to answer, apparently engrossed in something she'd found in her giant maze of a wardrobe. The nightmares weren't fading at all, but they weren't nearly as bad when he wasn't alone. Bianchi had suggested that he just spend the entire night in her room. Tired and wishing to avoid seeing - no he couldn't think about it anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

Bianchi emerged from the walk-in wardrobe with a brightly colored dress and a cardigan, carefully laying them out in preparation for the next day. Then she walked over to him and he yelped when she poked the still healing scab on his cheek.

"_This _is what I mean. You almost _died_ Hayato. It scared him, but it also reminded him that he's been spending so much time with his work and none with us. He's just feeling guilty."

Hayato scrambled onto Bianchi's rather tall bed and frowned at her, massaging his cheek gently and glancing at his fingers to check there wasn't any blood. "Guilty for what?"

"For not doing 'dad' stuff with us! He's taking me clothes shopping tomorrow you know. He said I can have whatever I want!"

Hayato rolled onto his back and found himself staring at the door which connected Bianchi's bedroom with her walk-in wardrobe. Apparently they'd renovated the room next door when her collection of clothes got too big to keep in just three wardrobes inside her bedroom. He wondered if they'd have to knock down another wall to make the new 'wardrobe' bigger after Bianchi was done shopping tomorrow.

"Anyway Hayato, I think he's just struggling to come up with things to do with you. I'm relatively straight forward. You...to be honest I don't think either of you know each other that well at all."

Hayato was half way through denying it on principal when he realized she was right; Bianchi was always right.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something in common eventually."

Hayato fell asleep that night wondering if he and father had anything in common other than blood.

* * *

A week after the incident, _he_ arrived.

Hayato and Bianchi were half-way through lunch when a messenger appeared in the kitchens. There was a small table set to the side where Hayato and Bianchi would usually eat during the daytime, placed for convenience and where the kitchen staff could keep an eye on them. Hayato thought he preferred eating in the kitchens, it was much more fun than the grand affair of the evening meal, and during the day some of the house staff often would join them if they were on their breaks.

Hayato was tucking into a great bowl of soup with slight difficulty, trying not to displace the various napkins that the head-cook had practically wrapped him in in an effort to keep his clothes pristine. Bianchi, he noticed, only had one napkin placed delicately on her lap.

"It's because of your age Hayato." Bianchi explained distractedly, when he pointed out the injustice of it. She was more focused on the cake that was being placed in one of the large ovens. "You're four..."

"...and a half."

"...and a boy. Most boys your age apparently spend all their time outside rolling in the mud and throwing tantrums." Hayato raised an eyebrow, wondering how mother and father would react if he started acting like that.

"Miss Bianchi! Master Hayato!" Hayato jumped as a maid raced into the room, calling their names frantically all the while. When his soup-filled spoon fell from his hand on to the floor, soup splashing onto a napkin and thankfully not his shirt collar, the head-cook gave him a knowing look which Hayato frowned at.

"Oh there you are! I've been searching everywhere! Your father would like to see you in his study, he says to knock and wait outside until he asks you to enter. Please hurry, it took me forever to find you, he may be looking for you already." Rambled the breathless maid, one of the new ones if Hayato wasn't mistaken. He had never seen her face before and she had young skin and long legs like most of the new employees.

Hayato sighed as he eyed his half-empty soup bowl, but Bianchi was already on her feet and he hurried after her, only stopping to quickly apologize to the new maid that was forced to clean up the sea of napkins he left in his wake.

* * *

Bianchi rapped her fist loudly on their father's study door and, hearing the call to enter, reached up and pulled at the large door handle. Hayato watched with bated breath, never having been in father's study before. The fact he was forbidden to enter making it all the more enticing.

It was a grand room, like most in the house, but it was dressed in dark but warm colors, red wine colored carpet, dark oak chairs and a desk, behind which sat his father in a giant but comfortable looking armchair. Shamal, in his bright white labcoat, stuck out like a sore thumb, but Hayato only glanced at him before eyeing the walls, rows upon rows upon rows of books. Old and new, thick bound, hard back and paper back, some with spines so worn that even if he'd been close enough Hayato doubted he could have read the titles. Compared to the -albeit large - collection of children's stories situated in the playroom, the largest of which a mere forty-two pages including pictures, this was...amazing.

Bianchi tugged at his hand and he stopped staring and moved towards the desk. Shamal gave him a tiny, almost flippant wave of acknowledgement. Hayato wondered how the man's five o'clock shadow hadn't changed at all in a week.

"You took a while to get here, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?"

Of course father didn't know their schedules, but having been following the same one every day for as long as he could remember, Hayato was a bit disappointed that father didn't even know when lunch time was.

"Nothing important father," Bianchi answered for the both of them, and Hayato hoped his rumbling stomach wasn't loud enough to draw his disagreement to attention.

"Good," father smiled as he stood up, obviously being unable to see them well sitting behind his desk as he was, "well, as you two have probably noticed, there's been some changes around the mansion lately." They both nodded, to show they'd noticed and to show they were paying attention. "Well, those are because of the new security measures that have been put in place. They'll be active until further notice, however, until our security breach is resolved," Father's eyes flicked to Shamal, it was obvious who was going to be in charge of solving said security breach, "Dr. Shamal will be staying here with us unless he has other business to attend to. When he's not conducting his investigation, he has generously agreed to tutor you."

Hayato wondered how father couldn't hear Shamal snort and mutter, "Just think of the money," not quite under his breath.

"Now this will be done around his schedule, so I've already had someone notify your other tutors that you may have to skip classes occasionally. Although I'm sure Dr. Shamal will do his best not to interfere with your studies too much."

"I solemnly swear that I will cut into as little of their time as possible." Shamal grinned amicably and Hayato shared glances with Bianchi to be certain that he wasn't the only one that had translated that as 'I will avoid them as much as I can get away with.'

"Good man!" And as father reached over to clap their new tutor on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, and Hayato felt a shift in the air. The changing in tradition always signified change, and he had a feeling things were going to become very different from that moment on.

**Quite like this chapter actually, it was nice to have Hayato back in a familiar setting again. **

**Now, if I update again before the 27th, someone yell at me please. Too much to do! **

**Feedback is always appreciated :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for my absence everyone! Finished exams, went home briefly for a wedding, then back to mainland Europe again, and had the joys of finding another place to live and starting a new university. Life of stability, how I miss thee.**

**Chapter 8**

"Soooo..."

Despite having seen this man kill two men without seemingly doing anything, Hayato couldn't help but think that their new tutor was, for lack of a better term, a complete idiot.

So far he and Bianchi had been sat in one of their regular teaching rooms, where Shamal had proceeded straight to the blackboard. Having scribbled the word 'MAFIA' in block capitals, he then stepped back to consider his work, then decided to add a question mark on the end for good measure. Having done that, he stepped forward again and dotted the letter I with a heart.

It was a capital I.

"Ok!" Masterpiece completed, Shamal twirled round abruptly, lab coat flapping dramatically behind him as he pointed the chalk still in his hand directly at Bianchi's bored face. "You there! Pretty in Pink! Let's establish what we already know."

"What did you just call me?" Hayato glanced at Bianchi's face and then quickly turned to face the board again. She was scary when she was angry.

Shamal coughed awkwardly then turned towards Hayato. "Oookay, let's move on. Who here can tell me what the number one rule is in the Family?"

"Never disturb father when he's working." Hayato and Bianchi chanted instantly.

Shamal considered them for a moment, and upon realizing that they were indeed completely serious, slapped his forehead. "Oh geez."

In the minutes that followed, Shamal proceeded to quiz them and was slowly losing faith in the next generation of mafioso.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW YOUR OWN FAMILY'S NAME!" Shamal yelled incredulously for the fourth time, and Hayato finally realized that they obviously weren't talking about the same thing. The fact that Bianchi was in one of her moods again and seemed to be answering back rudely to every question really wasn't helping Shamal's patience. Hayato could see a vein throbbing in the man's neck in irritation.

"Ok..." Shamal took a great inhale of his third cigarette and let the smoke escape slowly. "The mafia was originally a vigilante grou..." His eyes narrowed on Bianchi who was yawning exaggeratedly and the snap of his patience was almost audible. "To hell with this! I'm a hitman, not some goddamn history teacher!" Shamal yelled, making for the door.

"Hey! You can't go yet! It's only been twenty minutes!" Bianchi huffed.

"Yup! And that was all it took for me to decide that your dear daddy would be better locking you two in a tower somewhere if he wants to protect you so badly. Spoilt little brats like you that can't even dress themselves in the morning have no place in the mafia." Shamal said coldly,

Hayato felt himself bristle. How could he make a judgement like that already? It wasn't fair! And...This was obviously important to father, and Hayato feared disappointing him. Most importantly though, was that he hadn't done _anything!_ It was all Bianchi!

"NO!"

Hayato wasn't sure when he'd left his seat, and how a small handful of Shamal's lab coat had ended up in his fist, but that's where he found himself. Shakily, he looked up into Shamal's bemused face.

"So the puppy can bark?" Shamal chuckled, and Hayato felt his face flush in embarrassment as a heavy hand mussed up his hair, rather like one would pet a scraggly dog. Puppy! "What about you over there? Ready to take this seriously? If not then I'm more than willing not to train you!"

Hayato watched as Shamal and Bianchi seemed to participate in some sort of staring contest, until Bianchi finally sighed, and huffed out a quiet "Fine."

"Good!" Shamal smiled eerily. Hayato had never seen anyone's personality change as quickly as Shamal's. It was disconcerting. "But just so I know that you're completely serious about this...there's an initiation test!"

"But you still haven't taught us anything!"

"That's ok! It's more a test of resourcefulness. In fact, why don't you just think of it as a game of..." Shamal smirked at Hayato, "...fetch."

Hayato growled, suddenly knowing why Bianchi had been so unwilling to co-operate earlier. This man was infuriating.

"There's a book in your father's study, it should tell you everything you need to know about mafia history. All you two need to do is go get it, and read it, and bring it to me as proof."

Really? That was all?

"Oh yeah, but there's a catch."

He knew that was too easy.

"It's a secret." Shamal put his finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone. Don't let anyone see you. Don't be found out. Capiche?"

"But...!" All hope for further questioning was lost as Shamal opened the door just in time to see a long-legged maid sashay past in the most unpractical footwear Hayato had ever seen.

"You just pulled that whole scenario out of you're ass didn't you?" Bianchi asked, completely unimpressed. Hayato looked at her in shock, half expecting the housekeeper to materialize out of nowhere and drag her away to wash her mouth out with soap.

"Good hitman always thinks on his feet..." Shamal dazedly muttered, completely entranced with the movements of the woman's hips as she strutted her way down the corridor in her unpractical footwear. He flung a hand at them in what was likely supposed to be a wave and started after the woman, not slowing even after crashing into a wall lamp.

Complete. Idiot.

* * *

"He's trying to avoid us." Bianchi stated as they made their way to the kitchens for lunch.

Hayato frowned, confused. "I thought it was supposed to be some sort of test?"

Bianchi snorted as they descended the stairs to the kitchen, "Yeah, a near impossible one. He won't teach us anything until we get that book. This is the kind of thing he's _supposed_ to teach us. He's trying to trap us in a loop, thinking we wont be able to do it because he hasn't taught us."

Hayato stopped trying to work that out in his head as the head-cook saw them and placed an extravagant plate of sandwiches at their table. Hayato eagerly took his place and even didn't argue when he was once again smothered almost head to toe in napkins. At first he was confused as to why, but then saw the mayonnaise dripping out of one of the sandwiches. Oh.

Bianchi wandered over at a more sedate place, eyeing the contents of the ovens in curiosity before taking a seat. Hayato paused with a sandwich half way to his mouth, ready to resume their conversation but Bianchi jumped in and steered the conversation her own way. "I'm thinking of asking father if I can take cooking lessons from the staff." She stated loudly and randomly.

Hayato shot her a confused look and she sighed and made a few elaborate gestures with her own sandwich, indicating all the staff bustling around them. Of course. Secret. They'd discuss it later.

* * *

"He expects us not to be able to do it. So we're going to prove him wrong." Bianchi said, marching purposefully through the mansion at such a pace that Hayato was struggling to keep up.

"What do you mean? I thought it was just to prove we were serious?" Hayato tried to figure out why Bianchi was leading them around the mansion in one big gigantic circle. They'd passed the grand staircase for the fourth time now and Hayato wasn't sure if it was because Bianchi preferred to think on the move or if she had some sort of goal in mind. Either way he hoped she'd hurry up and just get it over with, his legs were getting tired, and he was pretty sure they had maths lesson soon. "Where are we going anyway?"

Bianchi had been rather silent at lunch, and Hayato could only assume she was thinking about their 'test'. It seemed hard, but he was sure they'd manage it if they spent this evening discussing their options and carefully planning everything.

"Don't worry, I have a plan."

For some reason that made him even more worried. So much for discussing options and careful planning.

Bianchi abruptly slowed her pace and Hayato looked to see the housekeeper rounding the otherwise deserted corridor. He tried to slow down too, lest he get in trouble for running again.

Tried.

Hayato had no idea what happened, but instead of falling into step beside his sister like he had intended, he just fell. Face first in the plush carpet, which didn't hurt his head that much but scraped his knees and made them sting fiercely.

"Hayato!"

"Master Hayato!" And then the housekeeper was crouching down and helping him up gently and fussing in a way that seemed extremely out of character for the stern-faced woman. He peered over her shoulder and saw Bianchi giving him a thumbs up.

What?

_Bianchi!_ She tripped him! And was smiling about it! Why? Why would she...? Hayato felt his eyes grow hot despite his best efforts, he was barely hurting, but _hurt_ and confused and not understanding what he'd done to make Bianc-

What was she doing?

_Oh._

Hayato blinked as he saw a small hand reach around the housekeeper's waist and carefully extract the large set of keys from her belt. The keys jingled slightly and he let out a large sob that had been building in his chest in order to cover the noise. Bianchi slipped the keys under her dress and gave him the signal to stop.

"Don't be such a baby Hayato! Come on! We're going to be late for lessons!"

At that announcement the housekeeper gave him a quick once over and handed him a handkerchief from one of her many pockets. Hayato took it gratefully and wiped his face with it, trying to stop hiccuping. Bianchi grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, and with the housekeeper's stern mask back in place she told him to be more careful and sent them hurrying along to their lessons.

Bianchi grinned at him when they were out of earshot. "The housekeeper is the only one that's allowed in to clean father's study! So one of these must be the key to the door!"

"Y-you could have just told me you know." Hayato sniffed.

"Yes, but it had to be convincing. And it worked really well too! Good job, Hayato!"

Feeling like he was seeing he was seeing his sister for the first time, Hayato tried to smile back and managed to stutter a quiet, "Y-yeah."

**For some reason this chapter was a complete bitch to write. I hope that's not reflected anywhere. Shamal is hard to write when he's supposed to be serious. However I've edited it to death and can't see any other ways to improve it. Wasn't certain whether to post one big chapter either or two smaller ones, I chose the two smaller ones, so this is the first half ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well this didn't come out as quickly as I'd hoped, so once again sorry for any delay. I'd edited this chapter to death... and then fell asleep with my computer on, and my edited version disappeared. Oops! Took me a while to get back to it, but here we are. Oh, and then my FF account wouldn't let me update, and it took me days to figure out how to bypass the error! Enough excuses though, on with the chapter!**

"Hayato, what are you doing? We're supposed to be planning!" Bianchi asked from her vantage point on her four-posted bed, curiously eyeing her brother as he crouched on the floor and glared at his shoes.

"I'm tying my shoelaces."

"Yeah I got that, I meant why?"

"Don't you remember what Shamal called us? 'Spoilt brats that can't even dress themselves'!" Hayato huffed, struggling to unfasten the tight but certainly not correct knot and starting over.

"Seriously? _That's_ what you're worried about? How about you put some thought into proving ourselves as mafioso and _then_ try and work out how put your shoes on."

"I'm thinking at the same time!"

Wrong again. Growling, Hayato started over.

Silence followed for a few minutes until Bianchi piped in with, "Wrong foot by the way."

Hayato felt his face go red as he realized she was right, his left shoe both looking and feeling rather odd on his right foot. "S-shut up!" Deciding it would be safer to practice in the comfort and solitude of his own room later, he tugged off the shoe and scrambled up to join Bianchi on the bed. She had a notepad and pen at the ready, presumably to take notes, but all Hayato could see was a series of messily doodled hearts that seemed to be trying to escape from the margin.

"Ok, so we need to get inside father's study without being noticed. There's no way we can do it when he's in, so to be absolutely sure we should wait until after supper."

"But we go to bed right after dinner." Hayato frowned, their parents didn't have supper until at least eleven, and he and Bianchi had to be in their rooms by eight thirty.

Bianchi sighed exasperatedly, "We just go to bed Hayato, not to sleep. We'll stay up until everyone's in bed. Then we sneak really quiet to the study and in. We shouldn't have to worry about the staff seeing us then either."

"But what about the security at our doors? We won't be able to leave our rooms!" The two guards posted on each of their bedroom doors seemed to be more of a hindrance than anything else. They had yet to serve any purpose other than to keep the two children in their beds after lights out.

"Well obviously we go out the windows and come back in another one."

Bianchi, Hayato thought, clearly hadn't thought this through. "We're on the second floor."

"Yeah but there's a bush right outside my window."

"There's spiders in it."

"Really?" Bianchi grimaced as if that was the only deterrent in leaping two stories out of a window. "Ok, we'll have to find some other way."

They mulled it over for a few minutes until Bianchi brightened, "I know! Come on, I'll show you." She scampered off the bed and Hayato was quick to follow until Bianchi stepped into her giant walk-in wardrobe. Hayato felt his jaw drop. There was twice as many clothes as there had been before she'd gone on that shopping trip with father!

What was more amazing though, was that they really had knocked a wall down to make room for them all!

"They're almost done renovating, but see over there?" Hayato had to stand on his toes to see over the rails of clothes to where his sister was pointing. "That's the door to where that old room was."

Hayato was in no mood to try and navigate his sister's jungle of wardrobe until absolutely necessary, so he left the wardrobe and went to the entrance of Bianchi's room, opening the door and peering outside. He groaned, it was no good, the security personnel would have a clear view of anyone coming or going out of the old door. He told Bianchi as much.

"Don't worry! We'll just need to think of a good distraction! Trust me!"

Hayato felt a shiver run up his spine, wondering why his worry always trebled every time Bianchi told him not to.

"O-ok then, so when are we doing this?"

"Tonight obviously." Bianchi gave him a look that quite clearly asked 'when else?'

_Tonight!_

"B-but, we've just barely got a plan!"

"Yeah, but renovations are finishing tomorrow. By noon tomorrow that door will be gone."

Hayato just stared, wondering how Bianchi always got him into these situations.

* * *

"Why do I have to go!" Hayato complained loudly at eleven o'clock that evening. They were back in Bianchi's room once again, Hayato's nightmares seemed to actually be proving useful for once in that no one questioned him staying in his sister's room. In the past few days he'd only ever visited his own bedroom to get fresh clothes.

"Because we couldn't come up with a good enough distraction, and you can't lie without getting defensive." Bianchi said irritatedly as she wrestled a black beanie hat over his head. The room went dark for a moment until Bianchi adjusted the hat until he could see.

"That's not true!"

Bianchi snorted as a reply, then instructed him to take his shoes off for silence. In his white socks, navy pajama shorts and t-shirt, and the overly large black hat almost obscuring his vision, Hayato felt ridiculous.

"There!" She handed him the keyring and Hayato looked at the large set of keys in horror. There was about thirty keys jingling merrily together in assorted makes, shapes and sizes.

"How do I know which one is the right one!"

Bianchi just shrugged casually, "Try them all, although I think the general rule is that the more important the lock, the bigger the key." Hayato picked out the biggest one, it looked to be the length of his forearm and seemed to constitute for most of the weight of the keyring. "That's the one for the mansion gates."

Oh.

"Ok!" Bianchi announced, glancing at the clock. "It's time. Are you ready Hayato?"

No.

"Y-yeah." He put on a shaky smile.

"Aww, don't look so worried Hayato! It's just our future on the line! No pressure!" Bianchi's words and encouraging, if painful slap on the shoulder seemed to increase the pressure tenfold. He suspected they were supposed to.

"Ok, give me five minutes and then you leave through the other door. I'll keep the guards distracted until you get back. Good luck Hayato!" Bianchi grinned and darted out the main door, and he heard her strike a muffled conversation with the guards. He looked at the clock on the wall and tried to work out when five minutes were up.

Having no clue how to read time, Hayato made his way through Bianchi's 'wardrobe' and counted to ten once he reached the door. Heart in his throat, he slipped out and down the corridor without looking back.

* * *

The trip to father's study seemed to take forever. The lights in the corridors were turned off and although he'd walked these very halls countless times before, it was another thing to try and navigate them at night, in the dark with only the tiny slivers of moonlight that managed to shine through the windows to see by. The beautiful and extravagant portraits that hung on the walls seemed sinister when covered by shadow, and the slightest creak of floorboard or whisper of the wind had Hayato's heart pounding in his chest like a drum.

He didn't like the dark, not since...it reminded him too much of that room. It let his imagination run wild and he had to take comfort in what familiar things he could make out around him, reminding himself that he wasn't there, and that he and Shamal had been the only ones to walk out of that place alive. Those people weren't here. They weren't.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard a noise. No. A voice, static and hazy. Hurried footsteps and heavy breathing. Hayato ducked into a doorframe, and crouched down low, heart in his throat and praying whatever was coming would pass him by unnoticed. It wasn't them. It was impossible. It wasn't.

It didn't stop him from shaking.

"Drago, where the hell are you? You were supposed to take over my patrol like, half an hour ago!" A tall security man complained loudly into his radio as he marched passed on long legs. Hayato felt all the anxiety leave him, the man was too tall and slender to fit the profile of any of his kidnappers. He was much younger too, with a full head of hair and no mustache or crooked nose.

"_Hehe, sorry dude, something came up. You gotta come see this! Claudio's getting his ass handed to him at poker by the little miss!"_

The man stopped suddenly and Hayato wondered if he'd somehow heard his heart beat. After all it still seemed to be roaring in his own ears. He reminded himself to keep still.

"What, Claudio, seriously? Where are you, I'll be right there!" The man took off and Hayato breathed a sigh of relief. Of course. Patrols. It had been silly to assume there were only guards posted at the rooms.

He'd have to be more careful from now on.

Just as he made to move out of his hiding place he heard high-pitched giggles coming from the door he was leaning against.

"Oh my god, I thought for sure the guard was going to catch us!" More high-pitched giggles and a deeper chuckle joined in after a moment. Hayato found himself listening carefully despite himself, knowing he should just leave the occupants alone and get going, but intrigued as to what they were worried about the guard discovering.

"You didn't need to worry Sweetness, I wouldn't let any other man see your precious body."

What the...?

Carefully getting to his feet, he peered through the keyhole despite all the alarm bells in his head telling him not to, Hayato was granted the sight of two very naked people doing..._something_. Hayato yanked his head away, and just gaped at the door, feeling the horrible memory brand itself forever into his eyes. What was _that?_

Hayato heard odd noises on the other side of the door and decided that enough was enough. He had a job to do and...well he just didn't want to be near them as they done _that, _whatever _that _was. He was just glad that he couldn't see their faces, he didn't want to know who he had caught doing..._that. _

"Oh, Doctor!"

Hayato shivered as he quickly walked away, he should have known.

* * *

The rest of the trip to father's study went surprisingly quickly. Hayato figured it was because he'd spent the whole time trying _not_ to think about what he'd just seen. He tried to focus as he finally reached the door to his father's study.

Studying the great door in front of him, he tried to guess which of the keys would fit the lock. Decided he had to start somewhere, he picked one of the larger ones and leant against the door, standing on his toes to reach the lock.

The door swung open.

"Ah!" Hayato tumbled in and fell in a surprised heap on the plush carpet. Realizing what he'd done, he covered his mouth quickly as if to stop any more sound from escaping. He cringed as the key's clattered noisily to the floor a second later.

When it became apparent that the noise hadn't attracted any attention, Hayato looked up, once again in awe of the shelves upon shelves of books that lined the walls from floor to ceiling.

Then he saw father.

Hayato almost yelled out in surprise, somehow having missed seeing the man when he'd tumbled in. Lucky for Hayato, the man was deep asleep in his armchair and despite the ruckus of his entrance the man hadn't woken up.

Now what! Bianchi had said father wouldn't be in his study at this time! He couldn't leave, they only had tonight before their window, or door rather, of opportunity was sealed off. They'd never get passed the security again. They wouldn't have another chance like this.

That settled it, he'd just have to go find it and hope father didn't wake up.

Taking a deep breath, Hayato stood, and grateful for his quiet sock-covered feet carefully tip-toed around the room, not finding anything obvious that remotely looked like the book Shamal described. Father muttered in his sleep and Hayato stood stalk still until he gave a loud snore and quieted.

Phew.

Realizing that this was father's office and that Shamal wouldn't just leave the book out for them to find, Hayato started thinking. It was probably wedged somewhere amongst all the other titles on the great shelves. To have any clue of where exactly, he'd have to work out the organizational system.

A great bronze plaque with the letter 'A' engraved on it on the far left wall answered that question pretty quickly. Alphabetical.

Mafia. M. Simple enough.

...If he could find the bronze plaque. He finally located it after walking to the complete opposite side of the room, even then having to strain his neck in order to find the letter 'M' on the great bookcase.

Mafia. MA. It would be near the top.

Hayato felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation. Shamal had to have something to do with this.

The roll-ladder that was attached to the bookcase was noisy, and seemed to be placed as close to father's desk as possible just to spite him. Hayato pushed it as quietly and smoothly as possible, wincing every time it scraped across the floor. He kept turning around to make sure that father hadn't woken, and he had to stifle a giggle as he saw the man's mustache flutter with every breath.

Ladder in position, Hayato scaled it carefully. It obviously wasn't designed for children, and the ascent seemed to take forever with his shorter legs, and his socks slipped easily on the polished wood. Finally though, he made it to the top, and found himself eye to eye with his prize.

_Mafia throughout the ages._

It was a great heavy book, and Hayato really had no idea how he was going to carry it down the ladder, but the fact he was almost done made the task seem simple. He slid it free of its place, trying not to cough at the dust that was revealed. He'd only just pulled it free when the books beside it caved in with a thumping domino effect, filling the new gap in the shelf with an explosion of noise and dust.

"...Uma?..."

Hayato froze, with great care he turned around slowly to witness his father staring right at him, awakened by the noise and obviously very groggy.

"...Uma?..." Hayato parroted back uncertainly, wondering what on earth his father was talking about and why he wasn't yelling. He watched in complete bemusement as the man smiled and snuggled back down in his chair.

Hayato blinked.

What?

Extremely confused but not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hayato gingerly made his way back down the ladder with one arm, the other carefully grasping the heavy book to his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the ground.

A scrap of paper fell out.

_Hey well done kiddos!_

_But I want the latest edition, it's in the top drawer of daddy's desk!_

_Don't forget to clean up after you! Don't want anyone getting suspicious right?_

_Regards, your favorite tutor, Shamal_

Hayato felt his eyebrow twitch again as he stared at Shamal's elaborate signature at the bottom of the note, the man had somehow managed to incorporate three hearts into it, despite his pen obviously not leaving the most baffling thing though was how had Shamal gotten the note there in the first place! He'd only come up with this stupid challenge eight hours ago! How did he even get _in _for that matter_?_ There were only two keys to the study, and father had the first, and Hayato and Bianchi had gotten a hold of the second one six hours ago!

That mystery could wait however, because Hayato was beyond irritated and just wanted to get this whole thing over with. He pocketed the note and heaved the ladder back into place, having discovered that his father slept like some sort of drugged log and was apparently delusional upon waking.

Rummaging through father's desk didn't seem to wake the man either, even though he was barely a few inches away. Locating the book, Hayato took out the bookmark his father had carefully put in and found the same page number in the much older and dustier book, inserting the bookmark, he put the book in and shoved the drawer closed.

Opening the new edition and seeing the length of the words, Hayato stormed his way over to the D section and helped himself to a dictionary, which would, with luck, provide several insults for him to throw at Shamal the next morning.

Laden with books, Hayato scooped up the keyring still lying where it had fallen on the floor and kicked the door shut on his way out.

* * *

"Looks like I win again, pay up boys!" Bianchi smirked from her place on the hallway floor, sitting in her pink pajamas and fluffy slippers, card hand laid out on the floor clearly for all to see. Many of the spectators laughed and cheered as the few remaining players grumbled.

"Aw man," complained one of the patrol guards, reaching into his wallet and pulling out his last twenty. "Knew we should have played for monopoly money." Several others nodded in agreement.

Hayato just raised his eyebrow at the scene, wondering how on earth Bianchi had managed to get what looked like to be every single guard on the estate to play poker in the middle of the hallway. It was probably for the best though, because he'd been in no mood to try and sneak around and had all but marched his way back, taking the longer route so as to avoid Shamal and his...friend. Bianchi caught his eye just before he ducked through the door into her wardrobe again, the twenty or so guards not noticing a thing.

"Well, I think I'm finally feeling tired enough to sleep. Thank you for the game gentlemen."

Hayato heard several groans as Bianchi entered her bedroom, winnings in hand, and the opportunity for anyone to win their money back gone.

"So how did it go?" Bianchi asked, looking at him in confusion as he leafed through the dictionary.

"Got it. Don't want to talk about it." Hayato pointed to where the heavy book was lying on the floor, and Bianchi skimmed through the pages curiously.

Hayato meanwhile, proceeded to flick through the dictionary in search of an accurate, non-complimentary description of Shamal.

**Well I quite liked this chapter, was fun to write and fun to read through...not so much fun editing it the second time but meh, had to be done. Let me know what you think :)**

**Also, yay! This little fic of mine had a bit of a popularity boost after last chapter. Thanks so much everyone for all the reviews, favs and alerts! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Yosh! Here's chapter 10! So sorry for the delay, there was the last-minute (or month rather) to finish my thesis, and then I had to move countries again, and find a flat. By the time that was all done, I'd totally lost my enthusiasm and hated the first draft as a result. However I pulled an all-nighter last night and came up with this, and I have to say I kinda like it. **

**Enough excuses, on with the chapter!**

**Chapter 10**

After one week of admittedly rather dull reading, Hayato finally closed the heavy book with a sigh. He knew he could have read it faster, but it was hard to keep his motivation up with such a dull book, especially when there was a whole library just sitting waiting to be read. He groped under his pillow for the keys, reassured when they jingled noisily together. Bianchi had told him just to throw them away, make it looked like they'd been accidentally dropped somewhere but...all those books.

Hayato grinned as he finally closed the heavy book with a thud and hopped from his bed, heaving the mattress up with great difficulty and stashing it carefully underneath along with the notes he had made. He glanced at his bedside clock and, although it was already midnight, he couldn't help but scoop up another more interesting volume from its hiding place. With his assigned task nearly finished, he'd snuck into his father's office yet again the night before, browsing the many titles in the vast library before narrowing his choice down to one. Hayato knew it was risky, it had been difficult enough to get in the first time, but the trip went a lot smoother the second time, if he timed it right and stashed the book in a hiding place to retrieve it in the morning.

The downside was of course that he could no longer stay in Bianchi's room, at least not without her noticing the new books and the hidden keys. The nightmares haunted him most when he was alone, but they were slowly becoming more and more blurry as time progressed and the events in that dark room drifted further from his mind. He'd woken up panicking in the dark twice this week alone, but instead of running to Bianchi's room he'd forced himself to turn on the bedside lamp and retrieve the book for reading. It really was helpful, having something to distract him from thinking about the nightmares certainly helped a lot.

Getting himself comfy in bed, Hayato opened his new borrowed book with a grin. Something about the UMAs which father had been grumbling about in his sleep. He had no idea what they were, but soon he would!

* * *

Hayato blinked tiredly over his breakfast the following morning, earning concerned looks from Bianchi and the kitchen staff.

"You should have just come to my room if you were having trouble sleeping, Hayato." Bianchi said with a worried frown.

Hayato shook his head, "No, it wasn't that. I was up until late reading." he explained, technically not lying in the slightest. "It was hard, but I finished it!"

"What? Completely?"

"Yup!"

"That's great Hayato! Let's go and find Shamal after breakfast and then we can start training for real!" Bianchi grinned and started to hurry along with her meal, somehow still managing to keep her clothes pristine despite the rush. Hayato himself had already decorated the napkins covering his clothes in crumbs and bits of egg.

"Wait...Bianchi, don't you have to read it too?" Hayato asked confusedly around a mouthful of toast.

"It will be fine, if he asks us any questions you can just answer for the both of us."

Unless he asked them separately of course. Hayato kept that thought to himself though, knowing that Bianchi would probably manage to wriggle her way out of any technicalities should they arise.

It took most of the morning to find Shamal, their search interrupted by two lessons before they caught the man stumbling down the hallways toward his room.

Hayato and Bianchi stood up as he approached, stretching out their limbs after their long stakeout outside Shamal's door. The doctor however, didn't seem to notice them until he tripped over Bianchi and stumbled into the far wall with a painful thud.

"Wha' the?"

"Shamal! We finished the book!" Bianchi announced triumphantly as the man staggered to his feet. Shamal stared at them for a long moment, hiccuped, then made to walk into his room.

"Hey!" Bianchi yelled, annoyed at being ignored. "I'm talking to y...wait, are you drunk?" She asked incredulously, wrinkling her nose as the doctor finally turned to look at them.

"Why does ever'one kee' askin' me tha? First tha' police guy, then tha' idiot at the gate, now you li'l brats." Shamal hiccuped again and leaned on the doorframe for support.

Hayato and Bianchi exchanged a glance, a silent agreement to ignore what Shamal had just said.

"We got the book and just finished reading it. You have to train us properly now!" Bianchi repeated smugly, obviously glad to have beaten the challenge they'd been set.

"Wha? Already? Tha' thing was like, four hundre' pages or somethin' an' you brats are only like...wha'...two?"

"Four and a _half! _" Hayato countered, insulted.

"Damn... you're small for yer age." Shamal muttered _almost_ under his breath. " 'Kay, if you can prove you read it I'll train ya."

Hayato was still bristling from the insult but Bianchi nudged him forward. "I have notes," He announced, holding them aloft for Shamal to see, "from the beginnings of the Vongola vigilante group, to the evolution of the mafia all the way until the eighth generation."

Shamal stared at him with a look of utter drunken bewilderment.

Hayato stared back, notes still held aloft, an irritated twitch developing in his left eye as realization slowly settled in.

"You didn't read it either, you ASSHOLE!"

"MASTER HAYATO! LANGUAGE!"

Hayato's anger deflated as quickly as it had come, the housekeeper's scream smothering it as effectively as an ice cold bucket of water. Thunderous footsteps approached and he visibly cringed as the woman rounded the corner and honed in on him like a missile, gripping his shoulder tightly as if he would try and escape her fury.

The housekeeper took a moment to stare coldly at both him and Bianchi before she turned to Shamal.

"I certainly hope you're teaching these children more than bad habits Dr. Shamal. Master Hayato has never said a bad word in his life, at least until you came along and..." She trailed off, wrinkling her nose as she caught a whiff of Shamal's breath "...are you _drunk _ doctor!"

"Only on your beauty." Shamal answered with a leer, only to be slapped hard enough to send him through the door and crashing into his room. The door bounced on its hinges and slammed itself shut, leaving the two children to stare at the woman in wonder.

_She...she's scary! _

Hayato wanted to melt into the floor as soon as the housekeeper turned to face him. "Now, as for you young man, the classic punishment for bad language is to have your mouth washed out with soap. Luckily for you, we live in modern times and I find that rather barbaric. So instead of me washing your mouth out with soap, you'll do it yourself while I supervise." The housekeeper announced with a dangerously happy smile.

"Oh, and Miss Bianchi, your father is expecting you in his office in ten minutes. Don't worry, Master Hayato will be along shortly."

Sharing one last helpless look with his sister, Hayato was dragged away to face his punishment.

* * *

"Say AHHH." Bianchi smirked as Hayato joined her outside their father's office. Hayato frowned and shook his head only for Bianchi to reach out and grab his nose.

Hayato held his breath stubbornly.

"You have to breathe eventually Hayato." Bianchi teased, "You're turning blue."

A few more seconds and Hayato was forced to exhale, letting out a big lungful of soapy smelling breath and gasping for air.

"Haha!" Bianchi laughed, letting go of his nose so that she could instead try to muffle her giggles with her hand. "She really made you wash out your mouth with soap! I always thought that was just a threat!"

A threat that was carried out with worrying efficiency. What had Hayato more worried though was that the housekeeper had asked him if he'd happened to see her set of keys around anywhere, else she'd have to report them missing. Worried about the repercussions of taking them, Hayato had denied all knowledge, somehow hoping that the whole issue would blow over with time.

"What do you think father wants with us?" Bianchi asked when she'd successfully managed to calm herself down. Hayato shrugged in reply, having no idea whatsoever. Since they were meeting in father's office it was obviously something important.

The door opened and a blond head peered through, blinking down at them. "Ah, I see. So this is where all the ruckus I heard was coming from." The man spoke in a clear, careful voice that seemed to hang around in the atmosphere long after he was finished speaking. "Vitorre, your kids are outside, should I let them in?"

"Yes, of course, send them in!" Their father's voice called from inside, and the door swung open to let them pass, the blond-haired man that let them in bowing to them as they entered for some bizarre reason.

Father was standing up and taking great strides across the room, eager to make introductions. "Bianchi, Hayato, I'd like you to meet Sergio, he's a very important business associate of mine, so I'd like you to treat him with respect. Understood?"

"Yes father," they chanted, and as Bianchi stepped forward to introduce herself and shake hands, Hayato took the opportunity to evaluate the man that father had introduced them to. He was obviously important, even if he didn't exactly look it, Hayato decided. He was tall, with an angular face and a blond shaggy scruff of hair, and so much stubble on his chin that it must have stopped being a five o'clock shadow at least three days previous. For being so important, he was dressed...oddly. His shirt was wrinkled and had a red stain on the collar, which was open and without a tie, and his pants were barely held up by the thick belt that was pulled around his hips. His shoes were like nothing Hayato had ever seen before, white with laces and pointless designs.

Hayato stepped forward too and shook the man's hand, "Nice to meet you, I'm Hayato."

"Oh I know, and trust me when I saw it's such a relief to _finally_ get to meet you two in person. Vitorre is such a worry-wart." Sergio rolled his eyes towards their father, and Hayato frowned, wondering how this man could be so rude towards father and not get reprimanded for it.

"Hey, Vitorre, he has your frown!" Vitorre laughed and Hayato yelped as the tall man leaned over for the sole purpose of poking his forehead just above his nose. "It's a bad habit though, keep it up and you'll soon have as many wrinkles as your old man."

"Wha?" Hayato blinked, completely taken aback and uncertain if he really had just heard this man call his father _old._ He wondered if that was also punishable by soap.

"Sergio _please_," Bianchi and Hayato's father sighed as he pleaded with the other man, "there will be time for pleasantries later, but right now we've got a lot of work to do."

"Aye aye," Sergio mock-saluted and made his way over to the desk, only to start fidgeting with an envelope opener he found there. Bianchi and Hayato shrugged as they followed their father over to the desk, waiting patiently as the man seated himself.

"I trust Shamal has taught you a basic understanding of the mafia by now?" He asked with a sigh, waving a hand in indicating they should both take their seats. Both Hayato and Bianchi nodded and as he scrambled to his too-high seat, Hayato wondered how his sister could possibly look so convincing when she'd done no studying at all, and what Shamal had taught them so far equated to less than nothing.

"Good. Well you see, our recent alliance with the Vongola Family comes with...many associated responsibilities. One of which is a party held by the allied Family, that's us, in celebration of the new alliance. The Ninth expressed his wishes on seeing you, Hayato."

Hayato frowned, searching through his hazy memories of what happened after the incident in search of 'The Ninth' finally narrowing it down to the kind elderly man that had let him sit in on the meeting.

"So you two will be attending as official members of the Castellani Family. I don't think I need to emphasize how very important this is. Not only will the Vongola be there, but many of our mutual allies too."

"Aw, c'mon Vitorre. You're scaring them." Sergio grinned from the bookcase he had wandered off to, pulling out books at random and barely stopping to read the blurb. "It's easy! Just smile, shake a few hands, and enjoy the shrimp and the wine. ...Maybe not the wine, we'll see...I'll try and sneak you some."

"Sergio!" Their father yelled and Hayato flinched in his seat. The other man appeared not to hear however and wandered away to flick through another book.

"Anyway...I'll be informing Shamal that your training is to change to focus on the proper etiquette expected of you for this event. You have two weeks. I understand it's a bit rushed, but I have every faith." One glance at his father's unconvinced smile and Hayato's confidence plummeted.

Bianchi and Hayato jumped as they each felt a hand on their shoulder. "Don't worry kids, if you have any problems you can just ask Uncle Sergio!"

"Sergio!"

"What? After _years _and _years_ of loyal service you won't even let your right-hand man be called Uncle? You're terrible Vitorre!"

* * *

"So...what just happened?" Hayato asked as they finally left the office, much to 'Uncle' Sergio's dismay. Hayato was unsure what to make of the man, he seemed pleasant enough, but was also unlike anyone he had ever met before. No one spoke to father so informally, but father really didn't seem to mind all that much.

"There's an important party in two weeks, Shamal has to teach us something before then, and we have a self-proclaimed uncle." Bianchi summarized. Hayato nodded, glad they had gotten Shamal's challenge completed before now.

"Bianchi?" Hayato asked confusedly as they stood outside Shamal's rooms, having been sent to fetch the man and send him along to their father's office so he could be informed of the change in plans.

"Yes?" Bianchi said as she rapped on the door to Shamal's room.

"What does 'etiquette' mean?"

No one came to the door so they tried the handle, and to their surprise, it opened. They entered the room warily, finding Shamal passed out the wrong way round on the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs snoring loudly with a line of drool trailing from his mouth to a small puddle on the rumpled sheets. The room stank of smoke and an ashtray sat beyond maximum capacity on the bedside table. Clothes were flung every which way and a piece of some woman's lingerie dangled from a bedpost. Shamal snorted and scratched his ass in his sleep.

"Whatever it means, I don't think we should be learning it from him."

**Yes, I finally managed to name Gokudera's original Family, as well as his father who I decided probably needed a name too. I hope you like the ones I chose, it was pretty difficult trying to find ones that suited.**

**Sergio didn't turn out anything like I had planned, but I still quite like him anyways. Yet another OC, ack. As always, let me know how I'm doing. ^_^**


End file.
